Written Answers

Wednesday 30 August 2000

Scottish Executive

Agriculture

John Scott (Ayr) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will instruct the Scottish Environment Protection Agency to refund fees paid by farmers for authorisation of sheep dip and pesticide disposal in the light of the recent decision by the Environment Agency to refund all farmers in England and Wales for similar authorisation.

Sarah Boyack: No. A number of special arrangements have, however, been made in Scotland to ease the burden of the Groundwater Regulations. Smaller farmers and crofters can share one set of charges by working collectively to dispose of spent sheep dip, thus reducing substantially the amount they pay each year. The annual charge was also waived in Scotland in 1999-2000 while SEPA determined the first tranche of applications.

Alcohol Misuse

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the Deputy Minister for Community Care’s statement in the debate on drugs misuse on 20 January 2000 (col. 385), what plans it has to propose a debate on alcohol misuse.

Iain Gray: We intend to hold a debate at a date to be scheduled.

Alcohol Misuse

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much central funding for action against alcohol abuse was made available in each of the last five years to date, in cash and real terms.

Iain Gray: Funding for tackling alcohol misuse is provided to health boards and local authorities, however the funding is not specifically earmarked for this use and it is up to them to decide how best to meet the needs of their resident population. Details of alcohol specific budgets held within the Health Department of the Scottish Executive and the Health Education Board for Scotland for the last three years are detailed below. This also includes voluntary body grants provisions under section 9 of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 and section 16B of the NHS (Scotland) Act 1978.

  Scottish Executive Alcohol Misuse Central Funding

  


£000




1997-98


1998-99


1999-2000




£463


£461


£993.601




  Health Education Board Scotland (HEBS) Expenditure Specifically on Alcohol

  


£000




1997-98


1998-99


1999-2000




£244


£275


£282




  Notes:

  1. The HEBS figures do not include the general contributions to alcohol abuse of non-specific initiatives.

  2. Changes in accounting arrangements mean that it is only possible to provide comparable figures for the last three years.

Climate Change Levy

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made an assessment of any additional costs to health boards as a result of the climate change levy and whether it will detail any such additional costs broken down by health board.

Susan Deacon: Subject to enactment of the Finance Bill 2000, the UK Government intends to introduce the levy on 1 April 2001. To safeguard competitiveness in the private sector their intention is to recycle all revenues raised through a 0.3% reduction in employers’ National Insurance Contributions ensuring the levy package as a whole will be broadly cost neutral.

  It is for health boards and NHS Trusts to respond to these provisions. A range of work is underway in the NHS in Scotland to improve energy efficiency.

Council Tax

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what statutory provisions or regulations apply to the payment of council tax by instalment rather than by a lump sum.

Mr Jack McConnell: The regulations concerned are to be found in Part 1 of Schedule 1 to The Council Tax (Administration and Enforcement) (Scotland) Regulations 1992 as amended by The Council Tax (Administration and Enforcement) (Scotland) Amendment (No. 2) Regulations 2000.

  The amending regulations follow from the recommendations contained in the report It Pays to Pay and allow local authorities to start billing council tax in the month of April rather than May and also to issue a combined reminder and final notice to those in arrears.

  These amendments are a part of a wide series of measures we intend to implement to increase the council tax collection rates of Scottish local authorities.

Drug Misuse

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been placed on a methadone programme in each of the last five years, listed by health board, and how many of these people were under 16.

Angus MacKay: Information on the number of people entering methadone programmes is not centrally available, as such details are only collated at local health board level, if their GPs have signed up to local shared care schemes.

  The Scottish Drug Misuse Database provides a profile of new problem drug users seen at a broad range of services who have been prescribed methadone. Extrapolated data shows only eight young people under 15 who have been newly prescribed or reported using methadone since 1995-96, and gives a total of 2,338 new individuals in 1999-2000 using prescribed methadone.

  As detailed in the Executive’s Drug Action Plan, we are committed to reducing drug-related deaths and ensuring the provision of effective shared care schemes.

  When allocating drugs treatment money to health boards, one of the priority areas stipulated by the Scottish Executive was further development of shared care services, including expansion of substitute prescribing schemes and supervised consumption.

Environment

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will commission a study into the impact on Scottish industry of an extension of industry’s liability beyond compliance with environmental legislation, as envisaged in the European Commission White Paper on Environmental Liability.

Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive is in the process of assessing the European Commission White Paper on Environmental Liability, including the impact on industry’s liability.

Environment

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are being taken to promote alternatives to peat sourced from lowland raised peat lands for use by amateur gardeners.

Sarah Boyack: The UK Working Group on Peat Extraction and Related Matters (in which the Scottish Executive and Scottish Natural Heritage participate) published a report on peatland issues in November last year. Among a number of recommendations were the need to look further at means of achieving reductions in the use of peat by the amateur gardener (the main end-user group) and professional grower and increasing sales of peat alternatives. Further research has been done on the opportunities and constraints for the increased use of peat alternatives and it is intended that the results will be disseminated later this year.

General Practitioners

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider, in the light of experience with the current associate GP scheme, amending the NHS regulations to allow single-handed GP practices to be supported by a full-time equivalent associate GP.

Susan Deacon: We have no such plans.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider funding a Scottish National Allergy Centre to co-ordinate one-stop treatment and research into allergic diseases.

Susan Deacon: It is for health boards and Trusts to develop allergy services in response to local needs. In doing so, they will be helped by the findings of a major review of immunology and allergy services which the Scottish Executive commissioned last year from the Scottish Medical and Scientific Advisory Committee. The report of the review is due to be published shortly.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive why deaths of males from ischaemic heart disease are three times higher than of females and what measures are being introduced to reduce this disparity.

Susan Deacon: The ratio of 3:1 deaths of men and women with ischaemic heart disease applies to those aged between 45 and 64, research evidence suggests that pre-menopausal women appear to be protected from the disease. The ratio declines with age, and by age 75 the difference is negligible. These data are reflected across the world and are in line with those reported in the rest of Europe.

  In line with the White Paper Towards a Healthier Scotland, the Scottish Executive is actively seeking to address lifestyle issues and established risk factors such as diet, exercise and smoking. These measures are aimed at both men and women.

Health

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-3922 by Susan Deacon on 14 April 2000, when it expects the report on the safety of fluoridation by the Centre for Reviews and Dissemination at York University to be completed and whether it will place a copy of the findings in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre once received.

Susan Deacon: It is expected the report will be published in September. I shall arrange for a copy to be placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre.

Health

Mr John Munro (Ross, Skye and Inverness West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to introduce fluoridation to public water supplies and what studies or reports into the environmental impact or effect on public health have been carried out.

Susan Deacon: The efficiency and safety of fluoridation has been considered recently by the Centre for Reviews and Dissemination at York University at the request of the Department of Health in England. This study has involved a review of relevant research and the report is expected to be published in September.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1O-1155 by Susan Deacon on 17 February 2000, when the first set of figures for hospital-acquired infections will be available, broken down by individual hospital.

Susan Deacon: Data on hospital-acquired infection are collected by Infection Control Teams based in each Trust, from whom the information can be obtained.

  While Trusts need to collect data on hospital-acquired infection, there is an even greater need for practical action by Trusts. The Scottish Executive is playing its part by updating guidance, and by making available some of the additional capital resources in the health budget this year for sterilisation and related equipment.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, in the light of the Framework of Mental Health Service in Scotland, 1997, which health boards have (a) carried out a local service review and (b) developed an implementation plan for the provision of services for sufferers of anorexia nervosa and bulimia.

Iain Gray: The information requested is not available centrally.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people were treated for (a) anorexia nervosa and (b) bulimia in the years 1997-98, 1998-99 and 1999-2000, broken down by health board.

Iain Gray: The information requested is not available centrally. People suffering from anorexia nervosa and bulimia are treated and supported through mainstream mental health and social work services, and treatment is undertaken in a variety of settings.

  Information on the number of discharges from acute general hospitals, mental illness hospitals or psychiatric units involving a diagnosis of anorexia nervosa or bulimia, by health board of residence, for the years 1997-98 to 1999-2000, is provided in the table.

  NHS in Scotland: Number of Discharges1 from Acute General Hospital, Mental Illness Hospital or Psychiatric Unit, Involving a Diagnosis of Anorexia Nervosa or Bulimia, by Health Board of Treatment - Years Ending 31 March 1998-2000

  


Health Board


Anorexia Nervosa


Bulimia



 

1997-98


1998-99


1999-2000p


1997-98


1998-99


1999-2000p




Argyll and Clyde


14


11


11


5


10


2




Ayrshire and Arran


14


10


18


4


6


6




Borders


5


2


3


3


0


0




Dumfries and Galloway


24


17


9


1


3


3




Fife


16


9


7


4


5


20




Forth Valley


7


4


10


5


4


4




Grampian


32


31


24


8


12


11




Greater Glasgow


25


49


31


26


11


16




Highland


12


10


9


1


6


1




Lanarkshire


10


10


2


4


3


1




Lothian


29


15


21


24


10


12




Orkney


1


0


0


0


0


0




Shetland


0


0


0


0


0


0




Tayside


17


17


12


7


3


6




Western Isles


0


2


0


2


1


0




Scotland


206


187


157


94


74


82




  Source: ISD Scotland.

  PProvisional.

  Notes:

  1. Relates to episodes of inpatient and day case care rather than individual patients.

NHS Funding

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many NHS Trusts received a formula capital allocation from it which was equal to or in excess of their annual capital depreciation in any of the last three financial years.

Susan Deacon: Given that each Trust has a formula capital allocation which forms only part of their annual capital spend and that depreciation is calculated over the estimated working life of an asset, it is not possible to produce meaningful comparisons between depreciation and formula capital allocation in isolation.

Nursing

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many nurses were employed in Scotland, in total and expressed as a full-time equivalent figure, in each year from 1979 to 2000.

Susan Deacon: The latest information available centrally on the numbers of nurses employed in the NHS in Scotland from 1979 to 2000 is shown in the following table. Over this period the table shows that the number of qualified nurses in the NHS in Scotland has increased by almost a quarter from 31,260 in 1979 to 41,752 in 1999.

  These figures mean that there are now 808 nurses per 100,000 of population in Scotland compared to 620 per 100,000 in England. As the figures show, since taking up office the Executive have reversed the downward trend of recent years. We have announced a further increase of 210 for the coming year in the priority areas of intensive care, psychiatric, community and accident and emergency. Nurse student intakes are also planned to increase by 3% in the coming year.

  Nursing and Midwifery staff1 employed in the NHS in Scotland by qualification Headcount and Whole Time Equivalent: at 30 September

  






Number


WTE




Total


Qualified


Unqualified


Total


Qualified


Unqualified




1979


53 815


31 260


22 555


43 526.6


26 270.6


17 256.0




1980


55 049


32 113


22 936


45 551.5


27 391.7


18 159.8




1981


57 387


33 986


23 401


47 590.3


28 979.1


18 611.2




1982


58 535


35 576


22 959


48 664.3


30 384.3


18 280.0




1983


59 100


36 728


22 372


49 285.1


31 523.2


17 761.9




1984


59 239


37 473


21 766


49 582.2


32 302.8


17 279.4




1985


60 000


38 210


21 790


50 413.4


33 021.3


17 392.1




1986


60 953


39 265


21 688


50 867.4


33 616.0


17 251.4




1987


61 725


39 857


21 868


51 716.0


34 267.9


17 448.1




1988


62 341


40 444


21 897


52 053.1


34 658.3


17 394.8




1989


63 124


41 257


21 867


52 651.2


35 326.3


17 324.9




1990


63 142


41 552


21 590


52 283.1


35 372.0


16 911.1




1991


64 189


42 121


22 068


52 647.6


35 576.3


17 071.3




1992


64 762


42 259


22 503


52 828.9


35 454.6


17 374.3




1993


63 743


41 571


22 172


52 634.7


35 270.1


17 364.6




1994


63 488


41 679


21 809


52 521.2


35 381.4


17 139.8




1995


63 273


41 646


21 627


52 416.3


35 379.8


17 036.5




1996


62 477


41 455


21 022


51 911.4


35 323.0


16 588.4




1997


61 954


41 414


20 540


51 472.2


35 244.6


16 227.6




1998


61 334


41 359


19 975


51 073.8


35 233.9


15 839.9




1999p


61 591


41 752


19 839


51 348.5


35 592.1


15 756.4




  Source: National Manpower Statistics from payroll, ISD Scotland.

  P Provisional.

  Notes:

  1. Excludes nurse teachers and nurses in training.

Parliamentary Questions

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-4815 by Mr Tom McCabe on 14 March 2000, on how many occasions since February 2000 it has asked back-bench MSPs to lodge parliamentary questions in order to enable it to make an announcement; whether it will provide a list of such questions, including the date on which they were lodged, and whether it is still the case that none of its officials have written authorisations to lodge parliamentary questions in the names of back-bench MSPs.

Mr Tom McCabe: It has been possible to identify the following 68 written parliamentary questions lodged between 29 February and 10 July as being inspired by the Executive, using the same methodology as set out in my answer to question S1W-5379 on 23 March 2000.

  4829, 4830, 4831, 5030, 5182, 5215, 5349, 5432, 5482, 5538, 5578, 5596, 5631, 5672, 5697, 5703, 5731, 5789, 5790, 5803, 5908, 5975, 5976, 6008, 6034, 6040, 6069, 6085, 6086, 6153, 6160, 6161, 6162, 6187, 6256, 6409, 6477, 6478, 6709, 6822, 6881, 6892, 6908, 7016, 7062, 7088, 7089, 7300, 7420, 7425, 7441, 7544, 7545, 7697, 7778, 7840, 7851, 7852, 7860, 7861, 7862, 7913, 7983, 8080, 8083, 8211, 8221 and 8248.

  It remains the case that officials do not have authorisation to lodge questions on behalf of members.

  Inspired PQs are an effective mechanism for bringing matters to the attention of the Parliament which are not so significant as to require a ministerial statement or debate. Without such a mechanism some of the wide range of activities of the Executive, which cannot all be the subject of parliamentary statements or debates, could not be notified to the Parliament as a whole.

  The use of inspired parliamentary questions was considered by the Procedures Committee, at its meeting on 15 February, and was acknowledged by the committee as a useful method for bringing matters to the attention of the Parliament.

Parliamentary Questions

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will answer question S1W-3483 lodged on 21 December 1999.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Question S1W-3483 was answered today.

Right to Buy

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail representations it has received from housing association tenants seeking the right to buy.

Ms Wendy Alexander: We have received a number of letters and telephone calls from housing association tenants. Tenants and other interested parties will also have the opportunity to offer comments on our detailed proposals for the "modernised" right to buy as set out in Better Homes for Scotland’s Communities – the Executive’s proposals for the Housing Bill.

Roads

Brian Adam (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received the review on the safety of the A90 between Balmedie and Tipperty and whether it will publish the review and any plans for implementation of any of its recommendations.

Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive has now received the safety review report. The immediate and short-term measures recommended have been accepted and will be progressed within the current financial year. The report was not commissioned for external publication.

Sex Offenders

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many court orders have had the effect of adding names to the register of sex offenders maintained by each police force since the registers were first kept, broken down by police force.

Mr Jim Wallace: This information is not held centrally but we understand that since their introduction on 1 December 1998 under the Crime and Disorder Act, there have been two occasions where a Sex Offender Order granted by the courts has had the effect of adding the name of an individual, not previously on the register, to the register of sex offenders - one each in the Dumfries & Galloway and Fife police force areas.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Scottish Parliament Procurement

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer whether the contracts to supply the Scottish Parliament with IT equipment and stationery were put out to competitive tender and, if so, whether best value was a criterion in this process.

Sir David Steel: Much of the original IT infrastructure for the Parliament was bought through the services of the former Scottish Office Purchase and Supply Division, using a combination of existing contracts and specific competitive exercises. Subsequently, IT equipment has been bought through the Parliament’s Procurement Office following procedures set out in the Scottish Parliament’s Procurement Policy Manual.

  The Policy Manual reflects established Public Procurement Policy which requires that goods and services are secured through competition unless there are convincing reasons to the contrary, and with the primary objective of securing best value for money. The Policy Manual currently requires that any requirement whose value exceeds £600 is subject to competition. Exceptionally goods and services may be procured through non-competitive action in accordance with procedures set out in the Policy Manual which ensure that appropriate approval has been given and that best value for money is still achieved.

  Provision of pre-printed stationery incorporating the Scottish Parliament logo is made available through the Printing and Electronic Information Services (PEIS) contract, which was awarded to The Stationery Office after a competition under EC procurement rules, where value for money and delivery of services required were component parts of the contract award.